Own voice reinforcement using extra-aural speakers
A system including an audio source device having a first microphone and a first speaker for directing sound into an environment in which the audio source device is located and a wireless audio receiver device having a second microphone and a second speaker for directing sound into a user's ear. The audio source device is configured to 1) capture, using the first microphone, speech of the user as a first audio signal, 2) reduce noise in the first audio signal to produce a speech signal, and 3) drive the first speaker with the speech signal. The wireless audio receiver device is configured to 1) capture, using the second microphone, a reproduction of the speech produced by the first speaker as a second audio signal and 2) drive the second speaker with the second audio signal to output the reproduction of the speech.
1 . A first wireless electronic device comprising:
a microphone array;
a speaker;
at least one processor; and
memory having instructions stored therein which when executed by the at least one processor while being worn on a head of a user causes the first wireless electronic device to:
produce, using the microphone array, a directional beam pattern having speech of the user of the first wireless electronic device;
receive, over a wireless network, an audio signal from a second wireless electronic device that is being worn on the head of the user contemporaneously with the first wireless electronic device;
produce a mix from the directional beam pattern and the audio signal; and
use the mix to drive the speaker.
2 . The first wireless electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the directional beam pattern is directed towards a mouth of the user of the first wireless electronic device.
3 . The first wireless electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal comprises sound of a virtual reverberation path of the speech of the user based on a virtual environment.
4 . The first wireless electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the microphone array is a left-sided microphone array that is positioned on a left side of the user while the first wireless electronic device is worn by the user and the directional beam pattern is a first directional beam pattern, wherein the first wireless electronic device comprises a right-sided microphone array that is positioned on a right side of the user while the first wireless electronic device is worn by the user, wherein the memory has further instructions to:
produce, using the right-sided microphone array, a second directional beam pattern having the speech of the user;
determine which of the first and second directional beam patterns is to be used to drive the speaker; and
in response, use one of the first and second directional beam patterns to produce the mix with the audio signal for use in driving the speaker.
5 . The first wireless electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions to determine which of the first and second directional beam patterns is to be used comprises instructions to compare signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the first and second directional beam patterns to determine which pattern has a higher SNR.
6 . The first wireless electronic device of claim 1 comprises a wireless earbud.
7 . A head-mounted device (HMD) comprising:
a microphone;
an extra-aural speaker;
at least one processor; and
memory having instructions stored therein which when executed by the at least one processor causes the HMD while being worn on a head of a user to:
capture, using the microphone, sound and ambient noise from within an ambient environment in which the HMD is located as a microphone signal;
generate an audio signal from the microphone signal by reducing the ambient noise; and
drive the extra-aural speaker using the audio signal to direct the sound towards a separate electronic device that is being worn contemporaneously with the HMD on the head of the user.
8 . The HMD of claim 7 , wherein the sound comprises speech of the user.
9 . The HMD of claim 8 , wherein the audio signal comprises an amplification of the speech of the user and comprises less ambient noise than the microphone signal.
10 . The HMD of claim 7 , wherein the audio signal is a first audio signal, wherein the memory has further instructions to transmit, over a wireless connection, a second audio signal to the separate electronic device that is being worn by the user.
11 . The HMD of claim 10 , wherein the second audio signal comprises a spatially rendered input audio signal.
12 . The HMD of claim 7 , wherein the extra-aural speaker is a left-sided extra-aural speaker that is positioned on a left side of the user's head while the HMD is worn by the user, wherein the HMD further comprises a right-sided extra-aural speaker that is positioned on a right side of the user's head while the HMD is worn by the user, wherein the memory has further instructions to drive the left-sided extra-aural speaker and the right-sided extra-aural speaker using the audio signal.
13 . The HMD of claim 7 further comprising a display, wherein the memory has further instructions to:
present a virtual reality (VR) setting on the display;
determine that the display is to switch from presenting the VR setting to presenting a mixed reality (MR) setting; and
in response to determining that the display is to switch, cease using the audio signal to drive the extra-aural speaker.
14 . A method performed by a head-mounted device (HMD) while being worn on a head of a user, the method comprising:
capturing, using a microphone of the HMD, sound and ambient noise from within an environment in which the HMD is located as a microphone signal;
generating an audio signal from the microphone signal by reducing the ambient noise; and
causing an extra-aural speaker of the HMD to output the audio signal to direct the sound towards a separate electronic device that is being worn contemporaneously with the HMD on the head of the user.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sound comprises speech of the user of the HMD.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the audio signal comprises an amplification of the speech of the user and comprises less ambient noise than the microphone signal.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the audio signal is a first audio signal, wherein the method further comprises transmitting, over a wireless connection, a second audio signal to the separate electronic device that is being worn by the user of the HMD.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
determining an amount of virtual reverberation associated with a virtual environment;
applying the amount of virtual reverberation to the second audio signal; and
applying a spatial filter to the second audio signal.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the extra-aural speaker is a left-sided extra-aural speaker that is positioned on a left side of the head of the user while the HMD is worn by the user, wherein the HMD further comprises a right-sided extra-aural speaker that is positioned on a right side of the head of the user while the HMD is worn by the user, wherein the method further comprises driving the left-sided extra-aural speaker and the right-sided extra-aural speaker using the audio signal.
20 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
presenting, on a display of the HMD, a virtual reality (VR) setting;
determining that the display is to switch from presenting the VR setting to presenting a mixed reality (MR) setting; and
in response to the determining that the display is to switch, ceasing to use the audio signal to drive the extra-aural speaker.